Meeting Fate
by annj
Summary: XOver with Firefly. Spike wants to get back Buffy from the Council. She's been cryogenically frozen since decades. Everything he has to do is get River and make an exchange. Sounds easy... or is it? WIP
1. Chapter 1

  
This is a crossover between Buffy and Firefly. English is not my first language. THe chapters aren't yet beta'd.   
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. It belongs to Joss. Yes, both of it. So don't sue. 

**Prologue**

The planet lay before him, caressed by the two orbiting suns. Their beams deadly and hot, even though he wasn't on earth.

"Just my luck," the man had said, when setting foot on his first planet that wasn't the earth, many, many decades ago. "So it's not an earth phenomenon. Pity."

Carefully he landed his small transport outside the city, dust settling just slowly around the spaceship. He'd have to wait until the suns were down. But that wasn't the problem. He was used to wait. If necessary he'd wait longer. Still, this was his chance. He could feel it.

With a sigh he turned off the control lamps and went to the back of the small cabin. It wasn't much, but until he got back Buffy, he'd put everything he had in getting that River girl to the Alliance and the Watchers Council. More than 500 years ago they had taken Buffy away. Away from him and her family to let her sleep frozen in a dark, dank box. Damn them all!

Right now there was no time to decorate the ship or get a bigger one. What for? He was never one for Christmas trees or pictures on the wall. He liked it simple. Was there anything practicable in coloring the dark walls or remove the dirty stain on the counter? Surely not.

Slowly he opened the refrigerator, taking a red blood bag and started drinking.

Soon, soon there was hope. Then he would think about showing the slayer a new world with all it's wonders. And may be a clean spaceship.

"Just fetch the girl," he repeated in his thoughts, ignoring the twinging sensation in the back of his skull. "No one is innocent," he contemplated. "Especially no Alliance experiment with two feet and a pretty face."

He threw one more glance to the picture on the wall, showing the haunted face of a young girl with dark hair and waited.

**Chapter 1 **

Hercules was a white planet. Wide oceans of milky water, filled with lime and minerals from the planets earth. The houses in the cities were made of marble, shining in the glaring suns. It was a friendly but fussy place.

In the streets people wore strange togas and their speech was spiked with funny words from the old Greek. The inhabitants obviously denied the galaxies tendencies to use the Chinese vocabulary.

Still the place was just perfect for a few days of relaxing and catching breath from the last lonely weeks in the vastness of space. And Wash had the intention of enjoying every second of it.

"Two minutes, Captain. It's a wonderful day on Hercules, the temperature says 21 cozy degrees, the sun is shining and my wonderful wife is happy to try her new bathing suit."

Wash switched off the mic and a female voice came from down the corridor. "I heard that, Wash. And I'll tell ya again. This is no holiday we're planning to. We need a new compression coil. No postcards."

"You know, we never had our honeymoon," Wash grinned and adjusted his grip to the steering wheel.

"'course we did. Don't you remember?" His lank wife entered the bridge and twined her arms around his neck, following his gaze across the big city of New Athens. Already from this distance the city was bustling, full of people from all over the galaxy, meeting on this very place to get back to civilization, buying proteins and purchase all kinds of spare parts for spaceships and exotic vehicles. "Three wonderful weeks on Maghellan?"

"If I remember?" Wash asked, his eyes bulging from his face. "Well I DO remember, actually. The best part was being chased from that horde of really unhygienic inhabitants, from whom we had stolen a pint of water. You know, the water we needed to survive 'cos we stranded on a really unfriendly planet."

"Yeah, that was fun, wasn't it?"

"Terrific," he replied, landing the Serenity soft as a feather - a really big feather - on the ground.

The two setting suns slowly vanished behind the mountains in the distance, plunging the area in purple twilight.

"I wanted to see what I put in my ship," said Malcolm Reynolds, captain of the Serenity and entered the bridge. "So, the two of you, stop smooching and get your asses outta here before it's dark."

"Smooching?"

"What?"

"You said smooching", Zoës lips were widened to a mischievous grin.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Stop it. I most certainly didn't say a word like that. And why aren't you on the way to get the gorramn stuff from the market?"

"'Cos you said smooching," Zoe said but left the bridge with Wash.

Proudly the Serenity stood in the red gleaming evening sun and Mal took a deep breath when he left his ship. The hot, sandy ground under his feet was wonderful after four weeks of the non-stop journey through the cold darkness.

"Air is short in the water," he heard a voice beside him and turned around to his youngest and most cryptic passenger, River Tam. Her white skin was probably up to get some color within the next days on sunny New Athens. "So, how come, he can speak to me? I don't think he has breath to spare."

In her hands she held a simple bowl, filled to the rim with water and one very curious, white fish. His mouth opening and closing against the transparent barrier.

"The fish is speaking to you?", Mal asked and mumbled on. "Remind me to talk with your brother about your meds."

"His name is Spike", River announced with a smile never shifting her eyes away from her little companion.

"What a stupid name."

"He thinks so, too."

"Why did you give it to him then?"

Slowly he went on, the girl following behind him.

"It has been his name for a long time. He wanted it."

"Stupid fish."

"River, your meds!", Simon called from the cargo hold. "Take them, before we go." River took the pills from his hand and stared at them unhappy.

"Ya sure, she's takin' them?" Mal wanted to know.

"Of course she does. Her conditions has improved drastically in the last weeks. Don't you see?"

"She's calling her fish Spike and he's talking to her. If that's what you call an improvement I don't wanna know how she is when she's feeling bad again."

"It's not unusual to give a pet a name. And talking with it is a perfectly normal behavior to accommodate an animals social adaptation."

"It's a FISH!" Mal said irritated. "Yeah, fine. Whatever. Your sister's a little _fong luh_ , but I'm okay with it." He shrugged and turned. "You have two hours to look around, _dong-ma_? Don't waste it. After that we gotta find a place to stay for the next days."

Simon and River started to walk into another direction when Shepard came out of the cargo entrance, winking towards them.

"Simon, River! Can I come with you? Greasy ship parts are nothing I wanted to see at this amazing place."

"Sure. We wanted to take a look at the local Pantheon," Simon agreed and gently pushed his younger sister along a bustling street. The bowl of water still balanced in the girls arms.

ooooooooooooooooo

The sun was down. Darkness crept along the horizon towards the small spaceship in the adjacent desert near the city. The last sun rays tickling the sky in west. Carefully the vampire took a step out of the cabin and studied the skyline of New Athens.

He had a job to do.

This night was the first step towards his future with the slayer that he had promised to find. Nothing would be standing in his way. His fingers gently touched the hull of his rusty-brown ship and the letters lines written on it in blood-red paint: Dawn.

"It's not long anymore, pet," he whispered hoarsely. "She will not understand. May be I don't either. But it's not like I have a choice, you see," he went on like he had to make someone understand.

Like he had to say sorry.

Like he had to assure himself.

TBC   
I like reviews, just that you it :-) 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer see Part 1. Hope you guys like it. Feel free to leave a comment... good or... uhh... better? Just kidding. Just review. 't makes me giddy :-D

**Chapter 2**

Five hundred years were a long time. People died, were born and Spike was always around to see them, to feel them, to care for them and, in the end, to let them go. It had never been easy.

Sometimes he cursed the soul that he had once craved. Now she was just a burden. Dawn had once said, that he would be the one to keep them all alive, even though their remains were long rotten into nothingness. Then she had made a funny face and had decided at the very moment, that she wanted to be burned to ashes when she was dead.

In the end she was.

But that was a long time ago.

"I have too much time on my hands," Spike murmured when trying to ban these depressing thoughts from his mind. "Time to set my priorities right."

He could feel her nearby. A tingling sensation somewhere under his hairline. It was a long time ago that he had felt another one on earth-that-was, long before humanity had resigned and left the planet.

After Willows spell the Watchers Council had made it clear, that they wanted back control. Control they couldn't hold over so many slayers awaking like flowers under a thin cover of snow in the spring. But soon after the girls had started to fade away one by one. Some kind of spell, that the Council had foolishly used to get back the upper hand of what was left of their "network". They had lost even more control than they would have gained. And the slayers had died like puppies without their mother. Only they were slayers without their powers. The vicious spell had drained them of their power as well as of their life.

Buffy was one of the last ones. Weak and defeated as she was she he had never seen them coming.

"Don't worry about me. I'm tough, you know?" Those were the last words he heard from her before she had left the house to meet Willow. He had never seen her again since that day.

Now, only several months ago, he had learned that she was alive. Well... mostly. And he had learned of another one like her. A new one. A new Slayer. And the council had lost their precious. Again. Spike had followed her for many weeks. Right to this planet and this place.

The circular building in front of him was white, as was everything around him. The evening lights came from some lusters at the walls and from the insides of the surrounding houses. Even though most people had decided to call it a night, the streets were not empty. Wandering businessmen and customers were strolling through the dawning alleys. All of them with tired and lethargic faces. They probably wouldn't realize a crime it it stepped on their toes and danced Rock 'n Roll.

Good for me, he thought and entered the Pantheon. The inside was whispering with words expressed quietly at the other end of the hall, their sounds carried seemingly through ages of tourists and believers coming here to find something they were looking for. Forgiveness, revelation or just long missed peace? Spike didn't care. Everything he wanted was the young girl, standing in the middle of the hall and looking at him with an expectant expression.

And his words finally reached her: "Sorry, pet. I wish I didn't have to."

ooooooooooooooooo

Startled Simon turned around and found his sister standing some distance away from him. Her eyes staring without blinking at a man who had just entered the Pantheon. Dim light from the torches at the walls made the newcomers face lie in dark shadows.

"River?", he tried to draw her attention to himself, but she didn't react. "River!", he said again more forcefully. Then the man moved towards his sister faster than he could see. One second he stood near the entrance and in the next one he had his hands around his sisters shoulder. The dark haired girl didn't budge, didn't even try to avoid the painful grasp of the mans hold. She still held the fish in her arms, the one she had gotten from Kaylee as a birthday present three days ago, even though it wasn't even her birthday. But she had been so happy.

"Hey, leave her alone," Simon yelled and ran towards them. The next thing he realized was his back crashing against a wooden bench, his breath leaving his body in a painful rush and the aftertaste of a blow against his ribcage.

"Simon", he could hear his sisters frightened scream. "No! Stay away!"

From the corner of his eye he could see Book coming towards them. He tried to warn him but the words stuck in his mouth when he saw the strange mans face illuminated by a torch above. Yellow eyes in dark sockets, a malformed forehead and a deep growl emerging from between long teeth.

"Don't make me kill you, human. I got no time for this."

"Who are you? What do you want with my sister? You... I can get you money. But please, thats my sister?" he begged, unsure of what else to do. Carefully he got up and moved towards his sister, holding his hands in a peaceful gesture in front of him. "Surely we can talk about it."

"I don't think so, Mr. River", the man said. "All I want is your sister. She is much more worth than any credit in the whole damn universe."

"Simon", Books voice cut soothingly through the strained atmosphere. "Don't interfere. He'll kill you."

"No", Simon screamed confused. "What the hell is going on? Who is this?"

He looked back and forth but nothing seemed to make sense. Why was there an understanding glimpse in his sisters eyes? Why did Book look like River had just grown wings?

He moved further towards his sister, unable to stand back and watch his sister being kidnapped from a Reaver-like creature. He realized his mistake the moment when a sharp pain in his neck made him scream. Gulping and rushing noises filled his ears and after seconds that felt like an eternity he felt himself falling. Everything turned blurry and he didn't even feel the pain of his head crashing against the cold stone floor.

ooooooooooooooooo

He couldn't have been unconscious for a long time, cause when he woke up, he was still lying flat on his back in the Pantheon and Book was sitting next to him, holding his head in his lap. The mans fingers were pressed against the bleeding wound on his neck and he was looking more than a little worried.

"Simon?"

Simon really wanted to answer but everything he managed was a silly grunt.

"It's okay," Book assured. "You'll be okay in no time."

"What... happened?", Simon mumbled and got up with the help of Book. "What was this?"

"Calm down, or you'll keel over again," Book tried to argue.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? Someone took my sister and you want me to calm down? What was that? That was no man, or was it?" He nearly faltered and let himself be guided into a sitting position. "Please, don't tell me that was a Reaver," he whispered, his face ashen.

"No, dear boy, that was no Reaver. That was a vampire."

TBC 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: see Part 1

**Chapter 3**

"A what?" Mal exclaimed, ignoring the painful whimper from Simon. "Hey Doc", he said to the bleeding man and followed him into the infirmary. "You should take a look at Shepherd. He seems to have taken a bump to the head."

"Unfortunately he didn't," Simon answered and stifled a moan. "As you can see from my bloodied neck I am the one who got attacked... again." Carefully, he opened the cupboard, took out some material and gave it to Kaylee who started tending to the wound. The holes in his neck were long closed and the bleeding had stopped, but it was still painful despite Kaylee's careful ministrations.

"I don't have time for your sarcasm," Simon said between clenched teeth. "This... thing, Vampire, whatever... he's got my little sister. She needs help. She needs ME!"

"Calm down", repeated Book for the umpteenth time. His face was set in an intense mask, obviously thinking really hard about something he hadn't yet managed to say out loud.

"You keep sayin' that, holy man", Mal noted sarcastically. "But y'are walking a _gorramn_ hole in the floor. So stop it, now! And tell us what happened. The truth, dare I say."

The captain leaned his hip against the bed and folded his arms waiting for an answer he was able to believe.

"I told you, it was a Vampire!" Simon tried to stand, pushing away Kaylee's hands.

"Sit down, Simon! Or I'll tie you to the bed," Kaylee said in a bidding tone and pushed him back in a sitting position.

"You can tie ME, if you want," Jayne said from the open door. They ignored him.

Finally Book stood still and stroked his chin. "Bear with me, this is complicated."

"How can it be complicated? Someone take Doc's loony 'sis or not?" Simon gave Mal an angry glance.

"Yes", answered Book. "Actually, something did. Something I thought no longer existed."

"What? Vampires? You're kiddin', right?"

"No, Mal. I am most definitely not."

Kaylee was finished and sat down next to Simon, carefully straddling his arm.

"How do you know it was a vampire? HOW do you know any of this?"

"Simon, I..."

"No, you knew what it was. You warned me. You told me it'd kill me. How did you know? WHAT does this creature want with my sister?"

"I don't know, Simon. Vampires DID exist... once, on earth-that-was, but there's not much I can tell you. There is little information about their existence anymore. There's been no sign of them since we left Earth-that-was."

Mal stepped up and scrunched up his eyes skeptically. "Who is 'we'?"

"A Council. A community of men observing their world."

"What do they want with my sister?"

"I don't know, they… didn't tell me."

Heavy silence filled the room and Mal was the first to find his tongue again. His voice seemed dark and enraged when he said: "You're one of them, ain't you?" It didn't sound like a question, more like a conclusion. "The council, as you call it, 'tis Alliance, right? That's why they saved you when you got shot."

"No… yes… it's complicated, I told you."

"Okay, start with the beginnin'," Mal demanded and sat down again, like he was waiting for a long and rather extensive explanation.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I don't know much, certainly not the whole background, just fragments of myths and gossip." Book sighed defeated and went on: "Okay, but I'll tell you everything I know."

ooooooooooooooooo

It was much easier than Spike had feared. Well, "feared" was a little over exaggerating since he had nothing to lose. The girl was obviously in shock. She followed him along the alleys without protest. He turned around repeatedly, but no one was following them. His cold fingers were wrapped around her wrist even though he suspected she wouldn't run away if he let her go.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He finally asked when they reached the city's border. She answered with a surprised face. "Not like I want you to fight against me, you know? But you see, this is a KIDNAPPING, alright? You are my hostage. Would you please not act like I was your Sunday promenade escort? It's perturbing."

"Sorry," she answered.

"Oh, bloody hell. Are you nuts? You shouldn't be apologizing."

"I'm really sorry?" she repeated.

With a deep growl he let go of her hand and tore his hair. A purple bruise started to  
form on River's pale skin around her wrist. "Sorry 'bout that, pet," he said and realized that she was holding something in her other hand.

"A fish? I'm kidnapping a fish? This is my worst kidnapping ever."

"So, you do this a lot?" She asked in an innocent voice and stepped closer.

"Not recently," he answered honestly and he started walking with his hand wrapped around her upper arm. Ignoring her curious glances he pulled her into his ship and carefully tied her to a tube in the back of the cabin without looking at her. He sat down and started the engines.

"You know, you remind me of a girlfriend," he said when the ship began take off.

There was a long silence before she said: "Your teeth are real, your mind is dark. But your soul is no longer lost...Was she a vampire too?"

Nearly letting go of the steering wheel and crashing the vehicle back on the ground he turned around and stared at the young girl, who had pulled her bindings down the tube and was now sitting cross legged on the cold floor.

"You know why I've taken you, don't you?"

"I am the hunter without a fiend. You are walking in your own darkness. And you need someone to walk in the light."

He turned around, concentrating on the flight path in the dark night.

"No, because you are the slayer. And I am your prey… And because you're the one I need to get MY slayer back."

ooooooooooooooooo

The serenity crew sat down at the dinner table and everyone's attention was directed at the Shepherd who was seated at the head of the table.

"I'm not sure we have time for this," Simon noted and hissed loudly when his abused body complained with a painful cramp.

"You HAVE to take the time," Book replied. "You can't go up against a power like that." He cleared his throat and began to tell. "Before humankind left Earth-that-was, they weren't alone. Creatures, vampires, demons, everything that went bump in the night, were real. They lived among people, either ignoring or killing them."

"Reavers?" Kaylee asked.

"No, not Reavers, but similar. Their existence was effectively contained by certain powers. People who knew about and fought against them. A more or less loose network of parties devoting their lives to fighting evil. One such party was the Watchers Council."

"Sounds cool," Jayne stated while polishing a blade.

"Sounds like a lot of _Fei hua_," Mal countered.

"You should listen closely before you judge, Mal."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry, guys. I mixed up Chapter 3 and 4 so there was the third one missing. Not it's rearranged into the right order. (sheepishsmile)

Disclaimer: see Part 1.

This part is beta's by Number5.

Thanks for review.

** Chapter 4**

"Fine, I'll listen," Mal said with an unhappy face and leaned back in his chair.

"However this might sound to you, the Watchers Council are the good guys," Book said and felt nervous under the suspicious glances of the persons he'd learned to call friends.

"Didn't you say, they are part of the Alliance? 'Good guys' and 'Alliance' are un-mixy things, ya know?" Mal said sceptically.

"Since the Watchers Council is many hundred years older than the Alliance - thousands of years even - this thesis is outdated. It's importance is indisputable since the occurrence of the first slayer."

He fell silent, his eyes turned to a point far away until Kaylee asked: "Slayer?"

Book got up and started walking around the table.

"On earth there was once a line of warriors. Girls, chosen by a higher power to carry the burden of responsibility. They were exceptionally strong and fast and they were the worlds only protection against all kinds of evil like that Vampire."

"Were they hot?" Jayne wanted to know and made a face when everybody stared at him. "What? They were women. I am a man. I have feelings, ya know?"

"Oh shut up, Jayne. Shepherd, go on."

"The Watchers Council did help the slayer. Offered information and trained them. There was an incident, that left the slayers weak and dying. That's all I know, I'm sorry."

"What has it got to do with my sister?"

Book sat back down and gave the doctor a sympathetic look.

"The Alliance is linked with the Council, of which I was a member, just like my father. I severed links with them when I found out, that they wanted to do experiments with human beings. But I had no idea, that it was River, you have to believe me. Getting on your ship was purely coincidence."

"You didn't answer my question," Simon stated. "You don't think they believe River to be…"

"Yes, I'm afraid they do. I think she was supposed to be their first slayer."

ooooooooooooooooo

The same suns, that had left the sky above New Athens only hours ago, now rose up on the other side of the planet. Caressing the dry ground, welcoming a new day. Birds chirping in the treetops, water glittering on the wet grass. A lonely hut stood at the bottom of a mountain range, hidden behind large pines. In the door stood a young man and shielded his eyes against the dazzling suns.

"Here we go," he murmured and stepped closer when the small transport had landed. The door opened with a hissing sound and he stood waiting in front of it.

"Spike? You in there?", he asked and stuck his head through the door. "Spike?"

"He can't answer. He's a fish," a female voice answered him.

"Oh, shut up, looney," Spike replied from the inside and started fumbling with the handcuffs. "One more word and your fish will be barbequed, got it?"

"Okaaay, so you found her," the young man concluded. With a smooth motion he pulled some loose strains back from his face.

"Of course I found her, moron. I never would have kidnapped someone that annoying on purpose if it wasn't for a damn good reason," Spike said and pushed the girl towards the exit. "Bring her in. And please, don't talk to her… oh and we will have fish for dinner."

"He's not a fish to eat," River called out, wrapped her arms even closer around the bowl and gave the the young man an angry glance. "He bites. Don't touch him."

"Okay, will do, sweety. Come on, I'll bring you in. Oh and by the way, my name is Gordon Summers." He extended his hands and pulled back when he realized that her hands were still tied. "Woah, that's awkward. Sorry." Wiping his sweaty palm on his trousers he felt terrible.

"No that's okay, I like you much more than the Vampire. He feels like sandpaper in my ear and smells like an angry puppy."

"If you say so."

'Is it worth it?' Simon wondered and guided her carefully into the hut. 'We are about to endanger a young girls life for what? We are not even sure, Buffy Summers is alive.'

His thoughts were interrupted when River Tam abruptly stopped in her tracks and stared into the far corner of the room, where another woman got up from a chair. She was short, even shorter than River. But standing in the shadows there wasn't much else River could see. The person made a careful step into the light and River discovered her to be an old woman. Her hair was kept from her haggard face by a loose bun and her eyes were nearly hidden by wrinkled skin. She was half smiling and kept herself upright by resting on a silver cane.

"Hello River, it's so good to see you again. I'm not sure you do remember me but I know you."

River tried to take a step back and was stopped by Gordon, who kept her in place.

"It's okay, River. We won't hurt you," he tried to soothe her. "She won't hurt you."

Rivers eyes filled with tears, when the old woman came nearer and memories - dark ones, painful ones and despairing ones – flooded her mind. She felt herself back with the alliance, stuck with needles and images that didn't belong. Her breath stuck in her throat and she pointed a shivering finger in the direction of the nightmarish figure.

"You," she screamed. "You filled me with dread, with broken dreams. You gave me the voices. They're calling. They keep calling. Will they ever stop? Murky gloominess... all over you. It's ... it's penetrating me. Stop it! STOP IT!" She kept repeating over and over again, sinking down on her knees but never wavering in her stare.

"I am Sorry, River. I am sorry to put you through all this pain," the woman said and made a gesture towards Gordon, who pressed a hypo spray on her upper arm. The medicine discharged with a SWUSH and River felt herself falling asleep immediately.

She hoped she would not wake up again.

Spike checked the ship one last time and then headed toward the house, a blanket carefully thrown over his body.

"Five hundred years of science fiction-y advance an no one had the idea of inventing a working sunblocker. Ridiculous!"

"Hey Summers," he said when he entered the hut. "Did it have to be such a..." He grimaced at the shabby interior. "... shabby place."

"It was supposed to be for one week tops. And I didn't know when you will arrive so I had to find something fast. We will be gone tomorrow anyway so stop whining. By the way, your ship could use some cleaners too."

"Buggers," Spike winked and concentrated on his 'hostage' who lay sleeping on a cot. "Hell, why didn't I do this? Her stupid chitchat made me go bonkers. What did you guys do with her at the academy?", he asked the old woman.

"We made her special, Spike. Especially you should know what I mean with it."

"I'm pretty sure, Buffy never talked like little Miss chatterbox. Ya sure you didn't just take her brains out and filled her with the 'Doom'n Gloom Dictionary'?" he asked and studied her sleeping features.

And again the little voice in the back of his head started to whisper.

He could hear Gordon move beside him and gave him a optimistic tap on his shoulder. He knew this young man since he was born 27 years ago. And he had known his father and his grandfather. And the father before. Right back to the year 2013 when Dawn Summers had born her first child, Nicholas William Summers.

There were times when Spike felt like some dinnerware to be given from one generation to the next. But every generation felt like a piece of Buffy and Dawn, like a family. Someone to care for. And so he had followed this path with his heart. He had lost Giles' family sometime around the flight from earth-that-was. He had not searched for them, he had his hands full with the Summer family. Until Virgina Giles had found him seven months ago.

The Giles's had stuck to the Watchers Council. They had kept it alive and working. They had supported it, followed and formed it right to the point, where some stupid member decided to take their path in another direction. Obviously their passive role wasn't enough anymore.

But the only link to their long lost power was the frozen body of the young slayer deep down in the misty cellars of their secret past.

Virgina Giles had once been a woman of priorities. She was successful and aggressive. Scruple was a word that existed in her vocabulary. But one day, she had learned to know young and delicate River Tam who turned out to be her new project. Virginias experiences as a genetic engineer made her responsible for the new development of the Watchers Council and for the recreation of the Slayer line. The first step of many into a cryptic future.

The look in the haunted eyes of the child made her thinking. In the end, she had turned away, her academic faith broken by her conscience. Searching for someone who'd help her to make things right again. For the young River girl as well as for the slayer, of who's existence she had learned when asking hesitant questions of her own works purpose.

She had followed the cold tracks of the ghost called Spike and found him far away in a distant corner of the universe. And she had asked for his help which he was willing to give after he heard the story of the sleeping slayer.

So they had planned. A family not bound by blood but past and heart and history.

"She isn't just special, Spike," Virginia whispered with a thin voice an lay her with liver spots covered hand on the girls cheek. "She is a part of Buffy and Buffy is a part of her."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: see Part 1. Review is welcome. Chapter was beta'd by Number5.

**Chapter 5 **

They had agreed on one thing: They had no idea where the Vampire was going with River. After Simon threatened Mal with bodily harm, the Captain had decided to help… right after having a hearty laugh. But still he had sent a wave to Inara who was staying at a friend's farm. She hadn't answered yet but maybe she could shed some light on the mysterious story.

Mal stared at the blank monitor with unseeing eyes, willing it to turn to life and give answers. He held his head in his hands and tore at his hair, making them stand in all possible directions.

River Tam had been strange, and maybe even crazy, but still she was his passenger and therefore his responsibility. He'd never admit it but he was worried. And very mad, since there was nothing he could do against the helplessness he felt.

Nevertheless he nearly jumped out of his skin when Zoe's voice droned out of the intercom.

"Sir? Wave from Inara. I'll put it through."

"Thanks," he answered. He stood up and tried his best to make his hair presentable but failed, immensely.

"Mal?" Inara's face appeared on screen. Mal humored himself into thinking he could see a hint of irritation on her well trained placid visage. "What happened? We weren't supposed to meet for six more days?"

"Oh," Mal answered. "Sorry for disturbing you…" He paused and tried to look around the woman's slender figure to get a glimpse of the young man sitting on the couch in the back of the room. "… and your roomy."

"He's not…" she began to defend herself but stopped and let her shoulders sink. "What do you want?"

"We need your help."

At first she looked flabbergasted, then worried and, by the end, very unbelieving.

ooooooooooooooooo

"Slayer, huh?" Wash remarked, sinking down on a chair and put his feet on the table. It was the middle of night – as far as there could be a time like that in the ever dark space. Book was still sitting on the chair he had taken hours ago. His face hidden in his hands, he took a noisy breath and leaned back. His eyes seemed to have grown very old, tired, during the last few fateful hours. The ship was quietly floating through space, the passengers sleeping soundly, or not so soundly, in their beds.

"Yes, Wash, I know. It sounds ludicrous."

Wash took a bite from his lousy tasting sandwich, made a grimace and put it back on the table.

"Yep," he answered "But you know, Zoe said it sounded kinda… cool."

Book threw him a doubting glance. "I am quite sure she didn't."

"Oh really, she did. Well actually, she said some real confusing sentence with words like ethnic and folkloristic accommodation and compensation. I don't remember it all but it sounded to me like… cool."

"This is not something that can be called 'cool'." Book answered. "This is about a girl's life. And many girls' deaths."

"Fine, whatever." He reached for his sandwich again and gave it another try. His face showed his distaste but he munched on bravely. "Do you really think, this … thing-."

"Vampire!"

"…Whatever! This thing took her back to the Alliance?"

"That's the only logical explanation I can think of."

"He could have eaten her."

"Vampires don't EAT people. They drink their blood, there's a difference."

"Oh yeah, being sucked out is probably much better than being eaten alive. I vote for the former." He grinned but felt rather disturbed. Then he got up and tossed the remaining bread into the trash. "Book, just out of curiosity, how do you recognize one? You said this guy was a vampire, but how did you know? Simon asked before, but you didn't answer him."

"He changed," Book replied, looking more tired. "It's some sort of mutation they can willingly show or repress. But…" He fell silent.

"What?" Wash inquired.

"I think I've seen his face before. I'm not sure. It could just be coincidence."

"Coincidence?" Wash snorted. "Recognizing a Vampire isn't just something someone does by coincidence."

"We… when I was young and a new member of the Council I attended some informative meetings regarding the Council's historical background. Among other things, we were introduced to the images of some of the most dangerous creatures that Earth-That-Was had… well… harboured. Skench Demons, Ghora Demons, Chaos Demons…"

"Chaos Demons? Sounds…"

"Dangerous?"

"After Reavers? No, I was going more for… pathetic. But please, go on." He waved towards Book who rolled his eyes.

"There was one lecture about Vampires, their origins, their behavior, their physics. Some of them had made themselves quite a name during their existence. There was Dracula, who was supposedly the forefather of the vampire race. Then there was Muriel. He ravaged the lands during the Crusades. Angelus, the one with the angelic face. And finally, William the Bloody. They all had cruel and barbaric reputations and left despair and fear wherever they went. The last one, William the Bloody, seems to have a remarkable resemblance to the one from the Pantheon. I remembered his face."

"So, William the Bloody it is," Wash said, his words expressing a hint of insecurity. "And you didn't say anything until now because…?"

"How would you feel if someone told you that your sister had been kidnapped by a Vampire called William the Bloody?" He asked but didn't really expect an answer. "I didn't want to unsettle him any more than I already had."

"How kind of you," Wash replied sarcastically and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "So, if the vampires are from Earth-That-Was, then how old do you think William the Bloodless would be?"

"The Bloody, William the Bloody. And I don't know. He was first mentioned sometime around 1900."

"Wow, that's old. And is he the only one left?" Wash asked.

"I don't know. We hadn't even known of HIM being alive, or rather undead. If there's one, there could be more."

"With all those _gorramn_ Reavers out there I'll be surprised if we even recognize them at all," said an angry voice from the door and Mal joined them at the table. Book sat up straight. He watched the Captain and tried to decide how angry the man was. But Mal averted his eyes and said to Wash: "Set the course to Su Yoko. Inara will meet us halfway. My head hurts. Normally this means my brain's working." He was answered by the dumbfounded faces of the two men and announced: "'t means I have a plan."

ooooooooooooooooo

A bright light greeted River. She blinked her eyes then kept them shut. The smell of something pure prickled in her nose. Fresh air, warmth on her skin and a light breeze that danced her hair across her back. But she knew opening her eyes would mean dead faces, dead bodies, death everywhere. The voices were far away but soon… River knew they couldn't be held back very long anymore. Soon they would drone in her ears, then a steady stream of painful cries. She put her hands over her eyes, dropping down to the earthy ground. Her knees sank into the cushioning sand.

It wasn't long before she felt another existence close. She carefully opened her eyes, meeting a woman's pained gaze. The blonde woman was standing only 10 feet away, with a summery dress billowing around her sun tanned legs. She stood without wavering, her posture relaxed and strangely tense at the same time. River blinked and tried to block out the many disembodied voices babbling, sighing, screaming, shrieking, crying and cheering around her. Hundreds and Hundreds of voices, all of them talking in different languages, saying different things. River didn't recognize any of them.

The voices were echoed by the high walls surrounding the valley River found herself in. It seemed to be almost like a huge hole in the ground. Raising her head took great effort but finally River looked into the eyes of the young woman.

"What do they want to tell me? It's important, I know. But make them stop, they are hurting me. I hurt so much."

Even though the woman's lips didn't move her voice sounded calm and soothing in Rivers ears, droning out all the other voices. "I can't. You are the one to give them rest. You have to end this. You can help them."

"What… what do they want?" River asked as her eyes filled with tears.

"Revenge."

She woke up with a high pitched scream, her arms and legs flailing around and her eyes wide open but not yet seeing anything. Gordon had been sitting next to her cot and turned around hastily trying to calm her down. Nearly knocking him out cold with a violent push he focused on talking to her, finally getting her to crawl back against the wall. She was shaking and there was sweat forming on her forehead.

"It's okay, Sweety. Everything's okay. You are safe, I promise," Gordon said in a low voice when her head came up, looking in to his eyes. "Simon?" she whispered.

Gordon felt like he had been hit by a hammer and took a step backwards. The girl was shivering and obviously very much afraid. He moved closer and sat down on the edge of the mattress, placing his right hand on the girl's cold fingers, which were wrapped around her ankles.

"It's okay. You're safe," he repeated and waited until the girls breath didn't came in painful gasps anymore. "We are in a spaceship on our way to the Alliance. Maybe…"

There was silence.

"I'm so sorry," he finally said, not even sure she as listening. "We never should have…" He took a deep breath and let his head fall back against the wall too and they sat quiet for some more minutes until the door opened and Spike came in.

"What are you guys doing? This ain't no bloody honeymoon suite." He folded his arms across his chest but it seemed liked River didn't even see him, for all the response he received.

Eventually River seemed to come back to reality and she got up, moving quietly and with a feline grace as if the two men weren't there. Her naked feet padded soundlessly on the floor. She stared, head tilted, at the other side of the small chamber which normally served as Gordon's room. She ignored Spike and passed him on her way to a small table covered with plans and maps, technical gizmos and books. She stood in front of it and raised her hands to take away a flat screen not bigger than her palm which showed an old photograph that had once belonged to Spike. It showed a smiling young woman with old eyes. The picture was very blurred and was no longer colored. Actually one could only guess how the person had once looked. But River was sure.

It was the woman from her dream.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: see Part One. How do you like it so far? Feedback is very welcome. Anyway... on with the story.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Who is she?" River asked as her finger carefully traced the features of the girl.

"None of your business, loony," Spike answered, taking the picture from Rivers hands with more force than necessary. He turned toward Gordon. "Can't you make her sleep? Or just shut up and sit still?"

Gordon made a face and got up, meeting the Vampires angry visage. "She's no dog, Spike. She's a young, innocent girl. You can't treat her like cargo to be traded."

"Well she IS, you bloody moron," Spike replied. "You want to get Buffy back or not?"

"I'm not so sure anymore. We can't do this. They'll… hurt her." Gordon looked at River who was sitting cross legged on the floor, observing the heated argument with pristine curiosity.

"This is not up for discussion, Gordon." Spike stomped out of the room, heading to the bridge but only getting halfway. He slowed his steps and wiped his face with a groan. "Stupid soul!" he whispered and turned around. In his own cabin he shut the door, sat down on his bunk and stared at the picture of his beloved. "I know, luv. This is all wrong. But I don't have a choice."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"A plan? You have a plan?" Wash commented. "God help us."

Book shook his head. "He won't. God objects to stupidity and futile violence."

"Hey," Mal said. "Who said anythin' about futile? Violence is never futile when it's ambitious."

"Fine then, what's your plan?"

"We burn the Alliance to pieces." Mal answered looking rather doubtful.

"And then?"

"What 'and then'? That's it. It's a good plan. It's always been useful before."

"Mal," said Book and sounded like talking to a small child. "You can't blow the Alliance headquarters to pieces. There are human beings in there, plus, you obviously don't have the firepower."

"And River will prob'ly be in there," Wash added and made Mal's optimism falter.

"Okay, THAT might be a problem. We'll just need to get in and check the place out first." The captain said, sulking, and looked at the two men. "I'm open for suggestions."

There was silence until Book harrumphed and said: "Well, we could just make an appointment."

"What?" Mal and Wash asked in unison.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"It's so good to hear from you, Derrial." The round face of a white-haired man filled the small screen in Book's room an hour later. "We haven't heard from you in a long while. How have you been, my friend."

"Bernard, it's good to see you too. I am well. What about you? Anything new from the executive suite? I've heard about your sister."

"Yes, yes, a pity. We lost a valuable resource when she left. But I'm afraid the others thought of her as a liability anyway. I think she got sentimental in her old age."

"Sorry to hear this. But I think you know that this is no call of sentimentality."

"Yes, yes… I thought so. So, what are you up too? Renewing your position could be… difficult."

"I know, that's not the reason for my call. I'm afraid I've had an encounter with a rare species. A Vampire, to be more specific."

"What?" The man leaned forward in his sitting position with a concerned expression on his face. "When?"

"No more then 24 hours ago. On Hercules. And I believe I recognized his face." Book made a dramatic pause. "It was William the Bloody."

Book had expected disbelief or even ignorance from one of his only friends within the council's tight society. Maybe even anger. Certainly not an understanding nod. But that's exactly what he got.

"You don't look very much surprised, my friend," Book remarked skeptically.

"I am not. I've been informed about several occurrences regarding this subject."

"What plan of action will the Council initiate?"

"The Council doesn't know about it, Derrial."

Against all better judgment Mal, who had followed this conversation off screen, blurted out a confused "What?"

"Is there somebody with you?" Bernard asked and squinted his eyes. "This talk should be made in private."

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. May I introduce you to Malcolm Reynolds, captain of the "Serenity". It was one of his passengers who was attacked by the vampire."

Mal stepped into the screened area and waved his hand with a stupid grin. "Hey."

"This is dangerous, Derrial. Can I trust him?"

"I do. He has proved himself," Book assured.

Bernard nodded reluctantly and leaned closer to the screen. "Still, we should talk face to face. There is much to catch up on, old friend. Can you come here?"

Book nodded his head.

"Good. I'll have to inform the Council about the official meeting I will arrange with you and your… friend. We will talk then." He looked at something on his table. "Today, 4pm. You have more than six hours to get here. Attend to my words: Be careful who you talk to within the Council. Most of them have "different" objectives since last you were here."

After his cryptic words the screen turned black and left the men dumbfounded.

"What the _gorramn_ hell is going on?" Mal said.

"We are about to find out, Mal."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The small planet's atmosphere was barely breathable. There was no life except for some small hardy bugs of the size of grapefruits. The rare plants looked like long dead trees, their leaves long destroyed in the toxic winds. On the dark side of the relative small planet was a shabby building. Flat and shaped like a huge T it gave an impression of a scientific station collecting whatever was worth collecting from the planets surface, countless antennas standing on the roof.

But when looking closer one could see small lights blinking, highly advanced technology protecting the structure and deceiving its real purpose. There was much more to the eye than two floors. Deep under its inconspicuous cover was another world, hidden like an iceberg under a tiny tip. Long, maze like corridors, filled with scientists and philosophers, mathematicians and historians. All of them the best in their fields.

Though Linda Hunnings apparently wasn't one of them. Nervously she clicked her pencil on the table, repeatedly checking the life signs of her patient. She was new in her job, on her second day to be precise. And she had known from the beginning: She would send in her relocation papers as soon as possible.

Her shift had started only two hours ago and she'd already had five cups of coffee, three depressant tablets, and had visited the nearby toilet six times. The coffee and pills were a bad combination. She blamed her lonely workstation on the bottom floor which was possibly the most depressing lab she had ever seen.

The light flickered constantly; sometimes it turned of for more than a second. And Linda could only freeze in her movement until it turned on again. It wasn't like she could do anything wrong within those seconds. The job was simple and entailed checking the vital signs on the monitors as well as keeping the place clean and functional.

"If I had known what I was studying technical engineering for I'd have studied the biology of luminescent fireflys instead. Way more exciting," she complained halfheartedly and held her breath when she was bathed in darkness.

Yesterday she had recommended the inspection of the local energy supplier. Her supervisor had informed her that this had already happened. Twice. But the source of the fluctuation had not been found. Nothing more would be done since the fluctuations had no impact on the experiment standing in the middle of the Special Room.

Linda breathed a sigh of relief when the bright lights came back on and threw a glance through the window into the Room which she observed. She was not supposed to enter. She didn't know why, they just told her not to go in there. The doors were locked anyway.

The lights flickered off and on again as Linda stepped closer to the thick glass dividing her small workstation from the other room. The tip of her nose touched the cold glass. How often she had done this in her two days on the job she had forgotten. The room was grey but strangely misty. In the middle of it was a crackling force field holding up the body of a person. Linda thought it was a woman. Hard to tell with all the blurry shimmering.

Her right hand leant against the cold wall next to her head and she strained her eyes to get a glimpse of the mysterious woman. They told her it was a medical experiment. "Strictly need to know. Don't push it," her boss had told her on her first day. She had shrugged her shoulders and said: "Okay, whatever!" The only important thing was that her job paid well. And that it did.

She froze once again when the lights sputtered off with an angry hiss and the area was bathed in impenetrable blackness. She held her breath and waited for the light to return.

She wasn't an anxious person. Never had been. But right now she felt her skin prickle and the hairs on her arms stand up. Her chest tightened and she blew her breath out panicking more and more as seconds began to pass. The lights had obviously died away permanently.

"Great! Just great!" she ranted and stepped away from the wall, carefully palpating her way towards the locker where she suspected a torch or something would help her out. With her back towards the window she didn't notice the light there for nearly a minute. It seemed to pulsate around the force field. Quiet whispers reached her ear and Linda opened the locker with sweaty fingers. After some rummaging she found the torch, switching it on immediately. Hastily she searched the lab for unknown intruders but found nothing, even though the whispering voices seemed to grow in numbers and strength.

"Hello?" she asked with a trembling voice. "Is somebody here?" The round pool of light searched every corner of the room but there was nothing. Linda got closer to the window and now realized there was an ocean of misty light surrounding the force field. And only after she turned off her torch did she see the faces. Hundreds of them. All swimming in the misty smoke and finding a collective tune of whispered words.

With a new hiss the ceiling lamps turned on, overwhelming the darkness and making Linda close her eyes. When she opened them again, there was nothing but the beeping of the computers.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: see Part One. Beta'd by Shanelle. Remaining mistakes are mine, mine, mine.

* * *

Unbeknownst to most of the working inhabitants of the planet, a small spaceship entered an outlying orbit a safe distance from the myriad of tracking and detection devices and settled to wait for a message. Its passengers were tense and not a word had been spoken for quite some time. 

"Stop pouting," Spike ordered gruffly and adjusted the ships course. His fingers were wrapped tightly around the navigation lever, knuckles white under his skin.

His words were directed to the young man sitting on the other chair. To an outsider it really might have looked like a pout. Gordon folded his arms stiffly over his chest and avoided looking at Spike. "I'm not," he answered.

"In that case, there're some antacids in the first aid kit. You look like you've got stomach cramp."

"I don't…" Gordon began, then halted. "That's not it, Spike. You know it. We just…"

"Gordon!" Spike cut in and rotated his chair so he could face his friend. "Listen!"

Gordon closed his protesting mouth.

"I know, okay? I know this isn't right. But it's all we've got, okay? I've waited 500 years for this very moment."

"You've known about it for eight months, if that. You could wait. If she really is alive then there'll be other opportunities. And can you trust Virginia? What if this is all part of some plot to get YOU instead?"

"I don't trust Virginia. It's Giles' genes I trust. I know Virginia and her brother made some stupid decisions but they bailed out when they realized their mistakes. And maybe there won't be another chance. Or maybe there will be in… say… 100 years. Do YOU want to wait? Let HER wait? I thought not."

Gordon didn't know how to answer.

"Everythin' will work out, you'll see," Spike promised. He turned back towards the windows as a peep announced an incoming wave. The round face of a man appeared on screen.

"Spike?" he greeted nervously. "It's… it's good to see you well."

"Define well," Spike mumbled but the old man ignored it.

"Spike, you have to listen. Everything is prepared for Mr. Summers to make the exchange. You going would be too dangerous. There's already been sightings, someone could recognize you. Plus, I think the building is magically sealed against all kinds of… things." He cleared his throat. "You'll be contacted by someone from the Council. Wait for his wave, then you can safely enter the planet's atmosphere. And please, be careful. I don't trust most of the members stationed here."

"Great. Anything else we need to know?"

"Well … uhh… yes. Actually there is." Bernard looked close to having a heart attack. "I was contacted by an old Council member only minutes ago. He saw you take the young Miss Tam and he's a passenger on the ship where the girl belongs."

"Oh…" Gordon said subdued and sank down in his chair.

"Where's the problem? They don't know what we're up to. There's no chance in hell they can find us."

Bernard had nothing to say to this and Spike looked suspiciously at him. "They won't find us, Giles. Right?"

"They can help," Bernard said, his voice full of hope. "You know we never intended to leave River behind…"

"Speak for yourself," Spike mumbled but Gordon sat up straight.

"Go on," the young man insisted.

"I've known Derrial since my inauguration into the Council. He is a fine and honest man," the old watcher insisted. "Please, just wait until I've spoken to him. We can postpone the operation. And we have spies within the laboratory. Maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Spike cut in. "Giles, I don't know this Derrial guy. He could be a spy sent to stop us. An' I certainly don't trust any of your 'allies' within that bloody lab. I can't wait for some frigging wannabe good guys to get us into trouble." He broke the connection and stared out into the dark sky of the planet.

"You didn't even think about it, Spike," Gordon accused and watched his friend with sad eyes. "We can use all help we can get. Especially when it's coming to us, not the other way around." He left the bridge, leaving one distraught vampire behind.

The expected wave reached Spike only minutes later. He tried to quell the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind and concentrated on the screen. The aristocratic man in his forties had a face like he had just bitten into a really green dimora fruit from Quebec, an abandoned planet near the black zone.

The man obviously wasn't up for small talk and didn't even introduce himself before starting to explain: "You'll be met on the top of the building, where the exchange will take place. Come alone or we'll open fire."

"Not so fast. How do I know I can trust you? You're a member of the Council. I heard you guys can be full of shit, you know? Bring the Slayer to the roof so we can see her, then I'll send one of my team to fetch her." Spike broke the connection, puffing out air he didn't need. After a few seconds he'd calmed down enough to inform Gordon about the intructions.

Half an hour later Gordon and River were seated on the small transport on their way towards the planet.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Serenity had swallowed Inara in a hurried rush and was already out of atmo. The planet Kumris, where the Council's headquarter was located, was only two hours away at the ships fastest speed. Hopefully they would be arriving on time to meet with Bernard. The crew had assembled in the kitchen to hear about the ongoing situation, listening quietly (except for Jayne who couldn't resist throwing in stupid questions).

"… So Shepherd and I will meet with this Bernard guy and check out the situation," Mal ended his explanation looking like he'd get really mad if any one expressed any kind of doubts. "Got it?"

"So this is definitely not a joke," Inara asked again with a skeptical face.

"Do I look like a _gorramn _storyteller to you?"

"Truth lies in the eye of the beholder," the Companion answered in a calm voice.

"Shouldn't it be beauty, that lies…" Kaylee chirped but fell silent immediately when Mal threw her an angry glance. "Okay, I'm quiet." Her fingers carefully entwined with Simons clammy hand and she gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Did I mention that I so don't wanna hear opposition, just selfless subordination from my crew?" Jayne snorted into his hand. "I heard that." Mal pointed a finger at Jayne, then stood up straight. "Wash, get back to the bridge. Shepherd, let's have a talk before we walk into the lion's den. Inara…" he opened his mouth, obviously thinking really hard. "I want you to practice your disarming congenilili… uhh… charm. We'll need it. And the rest of you… I don't know. Someone should wash the dishes."

He was about to turn around when Simon stood up, agitated, and let his open hands dash heavily against the table. "That's not good enough," he said between clenched teeth. Startled, Kaylee pulled her hand back and stood next to the young doctor who was still pretty pale. White gauze still covered the healing wound on his neck.

"Simon", she tried to calm him.

"No, I can't believe you want to go to a tea party when my sister is with this monster!"

"This isn't a tea party, bozo," Mal replied impatiently. "We're tryin' to get your crazy sis' back. Would ya please let me do my job? I want all of you to concentrate on what you do best." He made an intense face.

"That means I have to… what?" Jayne commented, scratching his head.

Mal turned around, gesturing towards Shepherd to follow and said: "You? Clean Vera. I bet my cute ass we'll need her."

Jayne started to grin. "Shiny."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

River was cold. For the first time since she could remember her feet were cold. She wished she had her boots. She could feel Gordon's hands on her back, guiding her silently into the small transport where he seated her in the chair. She pulled her knees up, put them onto the chair and covered them with the drape of her dress.

"Are you cold?" Gordon asked and opened a sideboard. "Wait," he said, took a dirty blanket out and covered her with it.

"Where are we going?"

Gordon threw her a pained glance but didn't answer. Instead he activated the flashing speaker and Virginia's coarse voice boomed in the small room. "Ready?"

"No," Gordon answered, clenching his jaw in anger. "But that won't stop you, right?"

"No," the old woman replied in a sad tone. "But everything will be alright, son, in the end."

"Yeah, sure. And then Spike will tap dance in the sunshine."

"Probably not. But you really should credit him with a little more sense. Wait and see, boy."

Gordon glanced at the girl next to him. "What do you mean?" For the first time in days he began to draw hope. "What haven't you told me?"

"We told you everything you need to know." He could hear a smile in her voice. The connection broke.

"Where are we going?" River questioned again and her face showed neither fear nor reluctance. Far from it, her eyes shone bright with curiosity and eager hope as Gordon maneuvered the ship out of orbit, sinking down towards the wasted planet and the situation he had feared since the very beginning of this nightmare.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Council's headquarters was less pompous than Mal had expected. Standing lost in the middle of the barren land, the station looked old and oddly shaped. With a little imagination it would pass for a huge cross.

"Kinky," Wash remarked nervously when the Council's space station came in view.

"Cool." Jayne nodded his head and took a step towards the windows, blocking most of Wash's view. "Tell me again why we're goin' in there?"

"We have an appointment," Book said. "It would be unkind to cancel a meeting with an old friend."

"Yeah, YOUR friend I suppose." Jayne replied with a growl. "I don't think I like your friends."

"You don't like nobody," Mal countered and made a gesture to keep everyone quiet. Another gesture and Book established a connection.

"This is the Serenity. Derrial Book and Malcolm Reynolds for Bernard Giles."

They were answered with a burst of static and then a tinny voice. "Free to enter, Serenity. Dock three."

Book confirmed and nodded towards the captain who rubbed his hands in a joyful motion. Book was pretty sure the man had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"Let me talk," he advised Mal again and just like all the other times he'd said that Mal rolled his eyes and threw him an offended look.

"Really, Shepherd, d' you think I can't deal with these nice people?"

"I don't think, I know it."

"Oh," Mal said. "You hurt my feelings."

They reached the last door dividing them from the space station as the ship docked on with a thud. Opening the lock they were greeted by several security guards who started searching for hidden weapons immediately.

"Hey, I'm ticklish," Mal complained, suppressing a giggle as he tried to shove the foreign hands from his shoulder.

Without any conversation they were guided by an escort of four heavily armed men. They were taken through a long, white corridor until they halted in front of an impressing looking door which was made of a dark wood. On it were strange engravings in a language that Mal didn't recognize. It swung open without making any noise and cleared the way into a small chamber. Similar pictures and writings were drawn on the walls and when Mal entered he circled around once to absorb the intimidating vibrancy emitted by the room.

"Wow, I'd love to get the name of the decorator who did this. I can just see it on Serenity. Kaylee would love it."

Book ignored him and made his way towards the opposite door which opened, letting the white haired man, Bernard Giles, through. Holding his hands out in a friendly gesture he went towards Book and the two men embraced each other with friendly taps to their backs.

"Derrial, it's so good to see you. How have you been," Bernard said to Book and absently shook Mal's hand. "Let's not stand around. Come, follow me."

Their host was throwing nervous glances over his shoulder but was playing a convincing tour guide, trying not to draw attention to himself and his guests. Here and there he pointed to different pictures on the wall and decorative statues and Book listened intently, asking questions. Their talk was casual, albeit subdued. Finally they turned a corner and Bernard pushed the two men through a door, closing it behind them and then breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled a piece of paper from the dark depths of the black cloak he was wearing and read some strange words, then sprinkled some sand in a imaginary circle around them. There was a flash of light that almost made Mal jump, then Bernard whispered urgently.

"Now we can talk."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: see Part One.

A/N: Great thanks to my beta Chanel. She's doing a wonderful job - though you know, writing with some feedback to hang on makes writing even more fun.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was a strange situation.

They stood in the middle of a small closet, cleaning equipment hanging on the wall; a broom, dirty laundry and various bottles full of chemical scented liquids.

"We're in a broom closet", Mal stated with a raised eyebrow but Bernard ignored him.

"I don't know how much time we have, so listen to me." The old man paused and strained his ears to find out if there was someone outside the door. "Don't ask questions, you have to trust me."

He turned around, a little calmer now, and started talking in a quite voice. "We have a Slayer."

Out of the corner of his eye Mal saw Shepherd flinch and couldn't resist asking once more: "Did you realize that we are in a broom closet?"

Still Bernard didn't answer. "She is being held at our station on the planet Black Mouth."

"I thought that station was a myth," Book exclaimed .

"It's not. But that's not the point. It's some kind of a test center for some of the Council's… artifacts." He gulped. A thin layer of sweat covered his forehead. "Among other things, the Slayer is being held on the bottom floor, far away from curious eyes. Only a dozen members know about her."

"How? And what for?" Book asked in an angry tone. Mal couldn't decide if it was anger against the other man or something else.

"They have been experimenting with the girls DNA with the intention of creating their very own slayer line."

"That's just… incredible," Book replied which didn't abate Mal's confusion at all.

Angry at being left out of this conversation he blurted: "What's a Slayer again?"

"The Slayer was some kind of mythical warrior on Earth-That-Was, inheriting special powers from generation to generation. Do you ever listen to what I tell you?" Book answered with an impatient glance but turned his attention towards Bernard again.

"River," he spoke on. "What has it got to do with River Tam? And why she was taken by a Vampire?"

Mal was not one known for his control, and now he could feel the feeble rest of it slipping through his fingers. Confusion and anger started to spread through his thoughts. He didn't have a clue what the hell the two men were talking about but he could say that he didn't like the sound of it. Didn't like it at all.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Are you alright?" Gordon said after some minutes of awkward silence.

"I don't like the smell. Smells like arrogance," River replied distractedly. "You think the other girls are down there?"

"I…" Gordon turned towards her but realized that she wasn't even looking at him. Her shining face was focused on towards the back part of the cabin. A glance confirmed Gordon's guess: There was no one there.

"Who are you talking to, sweetie?"

"The red witch. Don't you see? She's beautiful." Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "She says the place is very old. Full of unknown powers. Twirling ripples of dark magic. She says she doesn't like this place."

"That would be the two of us." Gordon replied as he made the small ship sink towards the building some miles beneath them.

From this distance he could see two or three people waiting on the roof, probably staring into his direction. Landing on the small space wouldn't be a problem. But leaving without River was somehow much more unnerving. For a second he thought about turning around and leaving without looking back but the voice in his head kept repeating "Everything will work out, you'll see". This voice sounded suspiciously like Spike and so Gordon had the unmistakable feeling of flying into his very own doom. Living with Spike had always had this effect on him.

"Just tell me you don't want to go and I'll turn around and get you out of here," he pleaded with the young girl while unstrapping her security belts. She didn't seem to hear him. She was still eyeing the empty place behind them.

Carefully he guided her to the exit and stepped through the door, his fingers entwined with hers.

A middle aged woman was standing some feet away accompanied by two heavily armed men who looked like they'd been breastfed steroids as babies.

"Welcome to Black Mouth," the woman announced as the two men took up positions on both sides of the entrance. The women smiled frostily and lifted her hand for greeting. Her eyes glanced around suspiciously, boring into Gordon's face. Somehow she didn't look like a scientist. Her eyes were a strange red color though Gordon dismissed it as an illusion caused by the toxic orange sky. Now she nodded her head towards one of her entourage, who nodded back. Like a telepathic connection, Gordon thought, even as he dismissed the idea as stupid. There was no such thing as telepathy.

He had a bad feeling as he realized that the woman's eyes seemed to be glued to River who was looking around shyly. The windy, hostile atmosphere made the young girl's robe dance around her legs and her black hair fall into her face, covering her delicate features.

Gordon neither took the offered hand nor did he answer. He still held the distinct hope that everything was a big mistake. There was no Buffy, and they weren't even interested in River. They would just let him go with the girl, shaking their head about his childish fears. Unfortunately the universe, and most of the people living in it, weren't as nice as Gordon wished.

A mean glimmer flashed in the woman's eyes and her whole body language screamed greed. Gordon wouldn't have been surprised if she rubbed her hands in evil anticipation or cackled.

"It would be wise of you to give us the girl," she announced with a false smile.

"What about the deal. Where is your half of our agreement?"

"Oh, how stupid of me." The woman made a surprised face and turned around, shouting through the open entrance. "Bring her out."

Two more people appeared, guiding the slender figure of a young woman between them. She had the sickly appearance of a homeless junkie. Long, stringy hair was hanging limply over a haggard face, big eyes blinking through. She seemed unstable on her feet despite being held upright by the two goons on either side. With a lot of imagination she could pass for the girl in the photo he'd seen.

"She's too heavy. She's not your sister," River murmured.

"What?" Looking back and forth between River and his possible very-distant-relative, he felt unsure how to act. Was River right? The tension seemed to grow exponentially.

"The red witch tells me. They float with no souls, sing into the night and nightmare the sun. I left my fish in your cabin." River shivered and wrapped her arms around her front while observing the people with fearful distrust. "Two by two, hands of blue."

"What?..."

But that was all he managed to say before he felt something rushing by, bumping into his shoulder... Then there was chaos.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"River," Bernard intoned in a hushed voice and looked around like he expected someone to jump out from the linen goods. "…Was the one who got their 'special treatment'. They injected her with the Slayer's DNA. But things went bad after that. When she didn't show any signs of ... change… they tried to provoke her power by meddling with her brain. She started talking in riddles and her condition deteriorated dramatically. She was barely able to walk straight. Security precautions were… neglected, there was no way she could have escaped." He took a deep breath and leaned heavily against the wall.

"Until Simon got in and rescued her," Book concluded, frowning.

"Yes, until she vanished by the hands of her brother." He managed a content smile and wiped his hand over his forehead before trying to loosen his collar.

"Are you alright, Bernard?"

"Yes, yes. Just listen. I don't have much time." He straightened his posture. "My forefathers on Earth-That-Was were close friends of the sleeping Slayer. Being a Watcher has been my family's destiny since then. We'd known the young Slayer, taught her. We were present when she was lost." He coughed and held his chest. "The Vampire Spike, the one you seem to have encountered, was once the Slayer's friend just like us, 500 years ago. Approximately one year ago my sister Virginia found him on one of the outer rim planets very much alive… or rather undead. She informed him about Buffy Summers whereabouts."

"Buffy…?" Mal blurted out, amused about the uncommon name. "Who'd call their daughter Buffy?"

"Why?" Book interrupted without even acknowledging his captains untimely question.

"Concience, qualms, fear… I don't know. Is it important?" Bernard listened once more but there was nothing to hear from the hall. Meanwhile Mal shifted from one foot to another, his patience slowly but surely fading like Jayne's stock of poteen, whereas the assumption that the old Watcher had lost his mind was shoring up.

"However," Bernard said. "Spike wants to get her back and I don't think the fact that River is innocent will stop him. I've asked him to wait for you. Maybe… maybe you can…"

"Help? Of course we will." Book said and emphasized: "Right Mal?"

"Uhhh… what was the question?"

The next moment the door was bursting open with a loud bang causing Mal and Book to duck. Bernard tried to protect them by standing between them and the door.

"Bernard, Bernard," a deep voice droned from the hall. "This has to be the worst decision you've made in your sad career."

Then there was chaos too.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

He could see Rivers dress twirling in front of him, dark hair floating behind her like she was flying, her bare feet gliding over the jagged concrete. He saw the dumb faces of the two goons as they stepped forward to grab the girl. But it was too late. The unpleasant woman crumbled, her head hitting the ground near his feet. Startled, Gordon took a step back while hearing the unmistakable sounds of a fight. Breaking bones and painful groans filled the air. He lifted his head in time to see the too large men sink to the ground, their faces smeared with their own blood.

"River?" Gordon managed to croak. She didn't hear him. She stood over the unconscious bodies, her back towards Gordon. In front of her the two men still gripped the woman between them. With hesitating faces they looked at each other over the woman's head, then made their decision simultaneously. They stepped backwards as they pushed their hostage forward, who glared at River and growled. She took a shaky step towards River, holding her hands in front of her. One more step and she nearly touched her.

Gordon was rigid with fear. Something didn't seem right about the woman. He didn't even notice the two remaining men disappearing through the entrance into the building. The only thing he saw was the deformed forehead showing behind the woman's dirty hair.

"A Vampire," he murmured, recognizing the appearance from Spike. Then he realized the danger they were in. "Hey! You?" He tried to gain her attention. But at that very moment she jerked out of her slow motions and lunged at River, her hands like claws and her mouth widened to show pointy teeth.

River stepped out of way without showing any signs of fear. When she turned around Gordon could see a childish curiosity changing to vivid determination as the beast lunged at her again. River stepped aside with her arm stretched out. Surprised, the "thing" crashed against River's arm and bounced back with a stupid expression in her face.

River used the seconds of surprise to vanish through the door while Gordon seemed to have lost his ability to move. How could things have gotten so bad in so little time? A deep growl made him turn his head to look at the malformed woman who got up and observed him with hungry eyes. A sound from within the building distracted her and the vampire ran towards it. One cry of pain later and Gordon heard a nasty POOF.

His heart beat in his chest like it wanted to run away no matter what its owner decided. Gordon took a deep breath, actually surprised that his shaky legs were still supporting him. He squinted into the darkness of the staircase leading down. His eyes adjusted fast and he could see River standing on the lower steps. She held a piece of broken wood in her hand, obviously taken from the neglected looking handrail.

"It's a forest, see?" she explained, her face shining like she had just gotten a present. She didn't wait for an answer but stepped further down and then turned around, looking back at him. "Are you coming? She needs our help, she can't get out alone."

Gordon gulped down his panic and followed her into the unknown.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

At the bottom of those stairs Linda Cunning did her best to not fall asleep while the periodic darkness claimed her station. She didn't even worry about the darkness as this happened more and more. This time she sighed, closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, doing her best to use the break to catch up some sleep. The voices hadn't come back again and she laid the blame for her hallucinations on her barbaric abuse of caffeine.

She nearly dozed off when a cold breeze nearly startled her out of her chair. The light hadn't come back but the eerie fog had risen to feet level. The door, which was never supposed to be opened... was open. Nearly hanging out of its hinges to be precise. There was squeaking sound, as though the door was flapping in a lazy draft. Then the voices were back, even louder and angrier than before. Behind the door Linda could hear a deep and even breathing. She threw a panicked glance towards the chamber and where the body should have been there was nothing. Now scrunching steps came from the door, a young woman appeared. She didn't seem to recognize Linda but went straight to the door, determined as though in a trance. When she was nearly at the exit she turned around, piercing Linda with eyes that lacked pupils. Only white blinked at the scared woman.

And that was the last thing she saw.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Wrong order's been sorted out. Sorry. Disclaimer as usual. Chanel was beta :-)

**Chapter 9**

Spike's heart, if it hadn't been dead for more than 600 years, would've been beating in an erratic staccato. He'd said goodbyes to Virginia just moments ago, probably for the last time, but he'd made his decision. And it would work out for every one... he hoped.

He closed his eyes against the sandstorm and held his hand in front of his mouth. He thanked the Powers that Be for his lack of need for oxygen and cursed the grains of sand that still managed to get between his teeth. Even with his enhanced senses the storm reduced the visibility to the hand in front of his face.

His ship was probably, hopefully, on course towards the main station to pick up Buffy and Gordon. They were only a few miles from here. And River too, if everything had worked out right.

But he'd probably never know.

Over the deafening noise of the wind he heard the sound of a weapon being cocked. He could vaguely make out the sight of people, six or more, now circling him. He couldn't see their faces since they were covered by protecting masks. The one in front of him waved, directing him to the left. He leaned into the wind as he trudged through the sifting sandy ground and after a few minutes he had reached a small hill. One of the formless drones leaned down and a trapdoor opened, leading down into the dark, where before there had been nothing.

Spike stopped, staring into the tunnel for a moment until he felt a hot pain on the skin of his back. He growled, his game face showing as he turned around and saw the cross now held in front of his face.

"I'm going, I'm going. The torture and experiments won't start without me, will it? We have all the time of the worlds."

The trap door closed with a loud reverberating clang. White, sterile lights brightened the floor. Spike could smell the dust, the waste in this bunker. The stench of horror and pain permeated the air around him. It pressed against his soul.

"How do I know I can trust you?" he asked.

"You will. I promise," came the muffled reply and the stranger took his mask off revealing a face Spike hadn't expected to see. He had thought her dead a long time ago, had actually buried her and stood at her grave, grieving for another lost friend.

"Red?"

The witch smiled and following a wave of her hand, the others sank down before they even had a chance to raise their weapons.

"Hey Spike! I thought I'd pick you up, before you do something really stupid, like handing you over."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Smoke filled Mal's nostrils and he held a hand in front of his mouth.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked and turned his head, staring up to Bernard who stood as if erected in front of them. Next to him Book had crouched down too, looking alarmed. The Shepherd gave Mal an intense glare.

"Don't! Whatever your suicidal mouth is planning to shout out loud… it'll only get us killed," Book whispered loud enough for Mal's ears and then concentrated on the happenings in front of them. The door was obviously blasted away and the surrounding wall was completely charred. Three men stood outside the door, the leading one flanked by two guys who looked like twins.

"Mr. Chang," Bernard said with the slightest hint of panic, winking his right hand behind his back to tell Mal and Book to stay put. "I'm…"

"Bernard," the Asian looking man interrupted and shook his head with a smile. "This new behavior of yours is most unbecoming. The Council is tiring of members who think they know best, ruining our years and years of work. This Council knows about your lack of… understanding, however we can't make allowances. As a result you should understand our decision." He lifted his hands, holding them in front of him and Mal could see him gripping a small object tightly in his fist.

The old man gasped and one of his hands flew to his throat while the other one sneaked behind his back revealing a small plastic card which Book took without hesitation. Mal threw him a questioning glance.

"Run when you hear the signal," Shepherd whispered.

"Signal?" Mal hissed back. "What sig…?" He had no chance to finish his question as Mal's world started to turn up side down. Their accompanying Watcher threw his hands in the air and screamed a single word with as much force as his sore throat could manage.

"Exudo!"

"Oh, that signal." Mal ducked even lower when a shining mass of energy shot from the Watcher into the three men, throwing them into the wall across the floor. Then a hand, it must have been Book's, pushed him towards the door and he started to run.

"What the gorramn hell is going on?" he screamed without slowing down. Book ignored him and turned his head repeatedly to check if they were being followed. Unfortunately they were.

Book expressed a very uncharacteristic swear and quickened his steps until they reached the end of the corridor while turning the small plastic card in his fingers. With a look towards the fast approaching chasers he tried to put the safeguarding card into the matching slit. When it didn't fit the first times Mal jumped to his feet. "Now'd be a great time to hurry," he growled and stepped between Book and their attackers, who had caught up with them. His fist was introducing itself to the first nose when Shepherd gave a relieved cry.

The heavy doors slit apart and Book saw two more guards standing between them and Serenity. The first one opened fire and Book jumped back into the relative unsafety of the doorway, avoiding the bullet by inches as he heard a angry shout from Mal. "Hey! Watch where you're pointing that thing. Somebody could get hurt." The captain managed to hold off their followers and rammed his elbow against the panel controlling the opening mechanism. A sparkling rain came down and he jumped backwards, protecting his face with his forearm.

"Mal!" Book warned and pulled Mal back. Mal was more then ready to make his way back to his ship, but first they had to get past the guards. The two gunmen were barricaded behind the corner and their weapons were leveled in the direction of Mal and Book.

"_Guay_! I don't want to visit your friends anymore! Never! _Dong-ma_?" Mal announced and tried to look around the corner. A bright light missed him by inches and he pressed his back to the wall, his eyes never leaving his comrade. "Any suggestions?" he asked with a raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Shepherd began but was interrupted by a loud hiss. Another deadly beam shot between them, followed by a crashing sound, silence and finally the voice of Jayne. "Mal? Shepherd? You dead?"

"Ask again later," Mal answered and relaxed for a second until a nail curling screech from behind drove the two from their hiding place. "Whooahh!" Mal said and ran towards Serenity. "Time for us to get outta here… like now, right Shepherd?"

"I absolutely agree." They stepped on board and the door closed behind them. "There's nothing more here for us," Book mumbled and turned around, waiting for the station to vanish from the cargo bay view as Serenity rushed towards the darkest of all planets. "We've two Slayers to save."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"How is he?"

Kaylee's eyes left the sleeping figure of the young doctor and she gave Inara, who was leaning in the open doorframe, a sad smile over her pretty face.

"Asleep, finally," she answered and got up quietly to accompany the beautiful woman into the common room. "I don't think he even realized I put the sedative in his water."

Inara smiled sympathetically and nodded toward the sleeping figure on the couch. "He's going to be unhappy when he wakes up."

"Oh, you betcha," the young mechanic answered, wincing when she thought about how angry he'd be.

"You did the right thing, sweetie."

"Yeah, everything's shiny," Kaylee managed to sound slightly optimistic and let herself fall down on the couch. "What've you got there?"

The companion put a heavy book on the table in front of her. Moldy smelling dust dispersed from it and fell down, leaving a dark trail of old dirt. "Where did you find this? In the trash can?"

"Book gave it to me when I asked for some more information about those demons."

"Shepherd has reading material about demons? That's just-, I never thought..." Kaylee shook her head but leaned closer when Inara sat down and carefully opened the first page. The letters looked like they were handwritten, a little quirky but mostly legible. Inara turned the page and had to fight against a wave of unease when the picture of a gruesome creature stared back at them. It had two horns sticking out of its cheeks, two teeth, at least an inch long, squeezed between his lipless mouth. Small beady eyes were positioned at either temple, which made him look like a huge and really freaky kind of frog.

"That's... gross!" Kaylee grimaced but couldn't take her eyes off the creatures that filled the pages. Succubae, Banshees, Werewolves, Manticores, a damn scary looking snake-like creature. One page showed two faces. One was looking perfectly human but in the next picture it was terribly contorted with deep lines on its forehead, dangerous looking eyes beneath a ruffled forehead.

"So, that's a Vampire," Kaylee whispered after the two women had stared at the picture for a few seconds. "I hope I never have the pleasure of meeting with one of 'em, I think I'd just faint."

"Does the book say how to kill them?" both women nearly jumped from their seats when Simon's voice came from behind. His face was unmoving, his eyes looking tired and bloodshot.

"Simon!" Kaylee squealed, doing her best to look as innocent as possible. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Not really," Simon replied and leaned down between Kaylee and Inara to have a closer look at the book. "Got immune to suppressants in my second year of medical school. I still have no idea how I managed the other four years."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Bloody hell!" Spike cursed, staring at the familiar face looking at him with an expectant expression. "What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On?" He demanded to know. "Who are you?"

"That's not the nicest way to greet an old friend, is it?" she said with a smile and stood still until she complained with a loud "Ouch!" when Spike nearly poked her eye out to see if she was real.

"How... What... Who?" he stuttered.

"You lost your ability to speak? Do human beings talk telepathically in the future?" she asked excitedly.

"No, of course not, dummy," Spike growled and he finally realized that this wasn't a funny joke from his imagination. But still… Willow Rosenberg had died a peaceful death at the age of 79. He could remember her funeral like it was yesterday.

"I remember your funeral!" he complained. "Damnit, I even put some flowers on your fucking grave."

"You did? Oh, that's so sweet of you," she beamed. "So, how did I die?"

Spike looked at her like she had just sprout another pair of arms out of her ears. "Ahh… uhh, you were there… kinda dead though."

"Well technically I wasn't. I cast the spell sometime after Buffy vanished. So everything you see is Willow Rosenberg at the age of 28. Cool, isn't it?"

She looked around his shoulder as if she heard someone else in the corridor. "I really think we should get going before you start telling me everything," With a slight shove on his shoulder she got him walking. Stunned, Spike didn't refuse and started to follow her. Until he asked:

"What spell?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gordon spied around the corner, his body tense. In his head there was a hell of a battle going on. Should he follow her? She obviously seemed to know what she was doing and especially where she was going.

He'd followed her three floors down, passing different doors, when she suddenly stopped in front of a door looking exactly like the previous ones.

"River!" he hissed, wondering what was going through her mind. But she just smiled at him, stretching out her hands to press down the latch.

"Don't! Where are we going? We can't just walk in here. We need to get you away from here. Please let's just..."

"Oh come on. Don't be a spoil-sport! It'll be fun," she answered with a bright smile. "I like the cookies. They taste like chicken."

"Cookies? What… River, damnit, let's go. We need to…" But his words died on his lips when he saw a person exiting the staircase. It was a young, dark haired woman whose eyes widened at the sight of the girl in front of her, like she had been waiting for them. To Gordon's surprise she looked suspiciously over her shoulder to see if there was someone behind her before she scurried through the door closing it behind her.

"What are you doing here? You were supposed to leave immediately after you'd delivered River!" she said, looking angrily at Gordon.

"What?" Gordon blurted with as much force he could manage without screaming. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

"I'm Mika Giles, I am Virginia's granddaughter. I was to get River as soon as you had left. You don't actually think that they really going to give you Ms Summers, do you?" She said as she carefully opened the door to check if they could leave the staircase without being seen.

"Well…?" He held his hands in front of his forehead, thinking hard and trying to comprehend what was happening. "Daughter? You are Virginia's granddaughter?"

"Yes! Stop shouting!"

"I am not …" Gordon visibly tried to calm down and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were shining with a fierce intensity. He wouldn't accept another paltry explanation. He wanted answers.

"Tell me what is going on!"

Mika glared at him, obviously unsure if she could trust him. Finally she exhaled acquiescently and motioned for him to follow her.

"I don't have time for this. I'll tell you everything on our way down."

"Way down? Where are we going? You can't just-…" But his ramblings were interrupted, when suddenly an icy gust of wind swished against their faces, causing them to shiver with cold. River, who had walked on some meters in front of them, bouncing like a little girl on its way to the candy shop, stopped abruptly and looked towards the ceiling when the lights flickered and turned off with a hiss.

"She's coming," the girl whispered in awe over the sound of the wind, like a thunderstorm in the darkness. It echoed from the walls and Gordon could feel the floor under his shoes starting to vibrate.

"Who's coming?" he asked, flinching at his own words. He could physically feel the nervousness pour from Virginia's granddaughter and shrunk away from her when she illuminated the pitch-black passageway by producing a small glowing orb out of nothing. Then his concentration was on the door at the far end of the corridor. Surrounding the heavy door thin slits were showing a warm light from the room behind and Gordon thought he could see a faint cloud of mist gushing through, spreading slowly over the carpet. Then River's whispering voice announced: "It's her. And she's not alone."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer see Part 1. Chanel was amazing beta.

**Chapter 10**

Too far away to do anything about the chaos that reigned at the Watcher's secret base, the Serenity was steadily rushing closer. The air seemed colder than normal though that was probably just an illusion because of the crew's stiff temper. Since they had left the Watcher's headquarter Mal sat brooding on the bridge, probably driving Wash mad. Book had gathered numerous books that now lay clattered all over the kitchen table while the Shepherd hung over them like the Sword of Damocles.

Shortly afterwards Simon had gone to Book with the intention not to leave without any information about Rivers whereabouts. But the older man had shook his head and explained in quick words what had happened.

Barely satisfied with it and more than worried Simon had left. Since then he was sitting on the couch, his arms lying protectively over his chest and deep in thought. He'd known River was made a guinea pig in the cruel hands of some overenthusiastic scientists but… she was just a little girl who liked to dance.

How dare these people to affect a young girl like this? How dare them to tamper with her fate? Her future? Her life? She wasn't to be used like a tool when it was needed.

He felt utterly helpless and the last two days seemed longer than their respective 24 hours. His stomach cramped painfully and with an angry shove he hoisted himself from his sitting position to cross the room with several long steps. When he reached the door he turned around repeating his erratic strides thinking about ways to take revenge on them and the Vampire, who had taken her away from so bluntly.

His eyes fell on the book Inara had left lying around and he sat down in front of it.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What spell?" Spike demanded to know and had to quicken his pace to keep up with Willow.

She answered when he'd caught up without looking at him. "I just couldn't leave her alone."

She sounded forlorn and sad. When she didn't go on he carefully nudged her to tell more. "Buffy?"

"Of course Buffy. Kennedy and I, we tried to find a way to get her back. Months and months of futile research. We tried all kinds of locator spells, we even tried a really kinky and not appetizing Resurrecting Spell. Oh…" She sighed heavyhearted. "Remind me to establish a "Save the Puppies & Kitten Foundation" as soon as we've got time for this." She stopped his question with a wave of her hand. "DON'T ask! Bad enough **I** have to remember." Halting in front of a door she laid her hand against the metal which swung open without any noise.

In the meantime Spike was unsuccessfully trying to wrap his mind around the fact, that Willow Rosenberg, powerful witch and computer nerd, the one with the pink colored teddy bear sweater, was walking next to him. Now. In the 25th century like she had said goodbye yesterday to go to the grocery shop. In her case, she probably had.

"By the way, what date is it?" she asked waiting for him to follow. Spike gulped.

"Uhm... 2518 I think."

"What?" Now the witch stood still looking at the vampire like he had just announced the full moon to be made of vanilla ice cream.

"Hey, YOU're the one who obviously made a mighty swan dive five hundred ago years to get started. You must have been bored to death." He rolled his eyes.

"Of course I wasn't since I was busy keeping the hundreds of slayers calm?"

"Hundreds of..." His face showed his confusion and Willow squinted her eyes, unsure whether the Vampire was pulling her leg.

"Are you serious? 2518?" She run her hand over her shoulder-length hair, pushing it irritated behind her ear. With erratic moves she began walking back and forth, quietly huffing. "Five hundred years. Oh my Goddess! This is not how I wanted this to work out."

"Why? Where have you been all the time if you haven't even realized how much time has passed?"

For a moment he thought she hadn't even listened but after a minute she looked up, her expression changing between exasperation and astonishment.

"The spell connected me to Buffy's soul. Of course it hadn't worked if she had already been dead at this time but...," She giggled and a hint of maddened panic crossed her stoic features. "She wasn't. I wanted her to get out, give her some power to escape from wherever it was they hid her. I don't remember actually how it all started. But we... had some problems." The last word was shaded with a trembling voice and Willow managed an unconvincingly smile.

"Problems?" Spike repeated.

"Uhm, yeah. Slayer problems actually," she said and Spike could have sworn to see her flinch.

"But Buffy was the last Slayer, wasn't she? How could there be slayer problems with no slayers left?"

"That's the question! Uhhmm...," She cleared her throat. "Somehow the power of all the slayers, of all the young girls affected by my spell, was still existent when I cast the spell to search for Buffy's soul. It was like their powers were concentrating on revenge for their deaths. Since it were so many dead girls, all souls sharing the same pains, they kinda... glued to my attempts of seeking Buffy. Like a whole bunch of trampers jumping on a tiny Volkswagen."

"They glued on a Volkswagen," Spike said dazedly.

"Yes, I don't know how to describe it. They were... just there."

"How?"

"I have no idea. But I bet my bank savings the Powers That Be had their fingers in the pie – do I still have a bank account? Oh, whatever - There must have been something they're good for – the Powers that be I mean. I only just woke up some hours ago. And my timing was good enough to save you out there." Now she stood again, stemming her fists on her hips and shooting daggers from her eyes. "What have you been thinking anyway? Getting yourself caught like a greenhorn." She shook her head. "Don't tell me the future made you soft."

"Hear who's talking," Spike grumbled, hastily changing the subject. "Fine, whatever. Where's Buffy?"

"We… uhhm... we should probably follow the tracks of mayhem and demolition," Willow said looking up.

They had reached the far end of the tunnel where a dusty latter went up into the ceiling to a trap door. Recent feet had stirred up the dirty steps and a fine powder hung in the air. The door was open and a persistent thread of red liquid was dripping on the floor. The unmistakable smell of blood rose up in Spikes nose and he could feel his game face rise.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What do you mean – she's not alone?" Gordon whispered, not daring to speak out loud. He saw River standing in front of them, her concentration drawn to the door. Suddenly a sound behind his back made him jump and over his shoulder he could see three persons coming in the dim light forming a line. They were wearing odd clothes, suits that looked expensive and like they belonged to an official Alliance gala. But what disturbed him most: Their hands were blue.

"Two by two, hands are blue," he mumbled aghastly.

"Aren't they pretty?" River said, obviously not yet aware of the blue men. "Too much rage and feet and glory to run away. Like little heroes lost in one soul."

Finally the door swung open and Gordon had to protect his eyes behind his arms to escape the painful brightness. Through his middle- and forefinger he squinted into the light but couldn't make out more than a vague silhouette of a body surrounded by ethereal, nearly translucent strings. Like long hair in the wind they billowed around her, caressing her features and wrapping her in a warm blanket.

Gordon gasped, the blue men forgotten. River never wavered in her stance as the silhouette turned out to be the body of a girl. She looked small, delicate with slender legs and arms. Her hair was long and reached down her back.

He realized the blue men had came alarmingly close and he turned around willing to bite and nail his way through them to get out River and the girl he suspected to be Buffy. Next to him Mika did the same. She held her hands in front of her as if to break someone's nose with a good punch.

The three men came closer and Gordon tried to keep an eye on both parties. Various voices whispered in his ears, making his hands twitchy und sweaty. He couldn't understand what they were saying since their tongues stumbled over each other, swirling into a mix of hundreds of languages. Still, undoubtedly, they were angry.

A small soundless explosion made him crouch, pulling Mika down beside him and a pleasant warmth flooded his back from behind. The light spread fast all over the corridor and struggling sounds could be heard from where the three blue men stood.

"What's going on?", Mika cried and stood up when the light vanished. Two of the three men had fallen, lying unconscious or dead – Gordon really didn't want to know – but one of them was still standing. His face was contorted in an angry mask and there was blood running freely from his nose and ears. With a grunting noise he attacked Gordon, who was standing closest. Gulping down his panic, Gordon realized a small knife in the hands of his adversary. By stepping aside he avoided being sliced open and turned around as fast as possible, grasping the blue man's hand and bending it towards the ceiling. A mix of spittle and blood splattered in Gordon's face as the man gave a guttural scream, ramming his other fist into Gordon's stomach so that he stumbled a few feet backwards. Only now the young man realized the voices were still existent and seemed to grow in intensity and volume. They echoed from the walls, hissing and shrieking like mad.

Meanwhile Mika forgot about her terror and when she saw their opponent nearing Gordon again she jumped on the man's back without second thought. Granted, not one her finest moves since the guy shook her off his back like she was nothing more but an annoying fly. Both, she and Gordon, were lying on the floor, struggling to get up fast. But there was no more time. The blue man obviously assessed neither as an imminent danger and stalked to River, his eyes never wavering from his goal. But Buffy moved with a breathtaking speed causing the light around her to blur and positioned herself between River and her assailant. The small woman lifted her hand and the man bounced against an invisible wall, flying backwards with enough force to damage the solid wall where he hit it. The sound of breaking bones was quite satisfactory in Gordon's eye but there was not time to feel victorious. Through the open door that Buffy had destroyed more people came running, shouting orders and fastening their steps to reach the three intruders and the Slayer.

"We have to get out", Mika spoke out what Gordon was thinking and grabbed Rivers arm to pull her with her. Gordon stayed a moment longer observing the seemingly oblivious slayer. Through the hazy, yellow mist he could see her eyes, white and unblinking.

"We have to go!", he said, feeling rather stupid for stating something that obvious. Carefully he stretched his hand out, hoping for a nod or a glimmer of understanding. But the entity – or whatever the girl was – kept her calm manners and whispered with an urgent undertone "Go! We'll make sure you get away."

"No, I won't go without you," he answered.

She smiled at his stubbornness. "You remind me of someone."

"Gordon!" he heard a scream from far ahead. Mika had reached to door to the staircase and waved her arms frantically. "Come!"

Buffy nodded and the slightest hint of amusement teased the corners of her mouth. "You NEED to go, We'll take care of me. We waited for such a long time." Now Gordon was sure. A wide smirk appeared on her face. "Now we're up to some ass-kicking."

Five minutes later, his chest heaving with the effort of taking three steps at once, Gordon pushed open the door and found himself back on the roof. The small transporter was only a few feet away and he could see Mika helping River into the vessel. His feet made creaky noise on the sand concrete and a mighty sandstorm tormented his ears and his nose. Holding his hands up to protect his eyes, the wind pushed him sideways and he felt like he would be swept away any second. With great effort he reached the door and a hand from the inside grabbed his wrist, pulling him inside and he fell down.

"We have to…" he said and doubled over with coughing fit. "We have to go back. Buffy's is still in there."

"Gordon…" Mika said. "There's no way we can go back in there. Buffy can take care of herself."

Another hand lay down on his shoulder and he looked up in River's intense eyes. She was smiling, the first time that Gordon could remember and a peaceful air seemed to surround her like she "knew". Knew things other people didn't.

"Don't worry," she said and nodded slightly. "No power in the 'verse can stop them."

Gordon opened his mouth to reply but thought otherwise. He'd have to wait.

But waiting was not something he liked very much. Time stretched into eternity. A tingling sensation spread out over Gordon's back and reached his fingers. Trying to loosen the tension in his body he stood up, risking a glance through the front window of the transport over the roof towards the entrance. The door was still open, slamming repeatedly against its frame in the ongoing storm. Buffy was definitely taking her time with her ass-kicking, Gordon thought.

He could feel River's eyes on his back and did his best to ignore them.

"She should be here by now," he complained for the fourth time in the minute. "Shouldn't I…" he started but was interrupted by River. With surprising strength she wrapped her fingers around his arm.

"Look!" she ordered and indeed… seconds later the inside of the staircase was shining with a warm yellow light which intensified until Buffy stepped through the door. Seemingly undisturbed by the chaos around her she walked… no floated closer, finally reaching the vessel. Her hair dancing softly around her face. Mika opened the airlock and the entity entered the ship. A few seconds passed and the whole room was filled with light and joy and an irresistible feeling of power.

"Buffy?" Mika asked quietly, gently reaching out a trembling finger but never touching the Slayer. She pulled back her hand as a voice - or better many voices started to speak, meeting a single tune and the three witnesses felt their teeth rattle.

"No power in the 'verse can stop us!" she repeated Rivers declaration underlined with a daring vehemence and then the light seemed to implode back to Buffy. The Slayer, suddenly without ethereal protection, sank down to the floor, her eyes rolling back in her skull. But before she could hit the floor Gordon had caught her, pressing her close to his chest.

Shocked silence filled the room until Gordon could feel her shaky breaths against his cheek.

"We have to go. NOW!" he cried and Mika took place in the front seat, starting the engines.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two floors below an angry growl emerged from Spike's throat. His teeth sank down in the tender skin of someone's shoulder. He didn't care. The only thing he knew was: He had to get to Buffy.

Willow and he had followed the trail of blood and groans and exploded ceiling lights without meeting any resistance. Whoever had walked this very path was really, really angry. And the only person with a temper like a mad rhinoceros was Buffy, it had to be her.

He had started running shortly after they had found the first puddle of blood, Willow following him and telling him to wait for her. Maybe she was a witch and was able to turn him in a turnip with a flick of her wrist but definitely had to work on her stamina.

They were probably somewhere close to the top of the building when finally armed security staff had crossed their way. A shot of electricity had found its goal and Spike had screamed in pain and frustration. A fireball had ended his torture and Willow had helped him getting the upper hand against his opponents. Until now!

A sharp pain spread from his butt. He turned around, starring at his backside and ripped the protruding injection out.

"Well, that went well," he mumbled and felt his vision swim.

TBC


End file.
